I'm sharing a bath with David Tennant. Well almost. Doctor Who is light years away on a state-of-the-art flat screen TV. And I'm soaking in a huge stone bath in my bedroom at Tuddenham Mill. I know where I'd rather be. Poor Doctor.

Tuddenham Mill, a converted 12th-century flour mill 12 miles north of Newmarket, is a perfect fusion of ancient and modern. Automatic glass double doors sweep us through to a cosy but chic lobby of dark wood and soft brown furnishings with an angular fireplace in the corner.

A late check-in gives me just enough time before dinner to have a quick dip with the Doctor and become acquainted with the room's gadgets. Way up between the semi-limewashed oak rafters is a tiny window that has a remote-controlled blind: a touch of James Bond that plays well with my partner. The floorboards are white and the shutters over the windows open on to the millpond.

Three rooms opened for guests two months ago, though the restaurant opened a month earlier, and eight more - plus four suites in a newly built annexe overlooking the watermeadow will open next month.

Dinner in the restaurant, complete with intact mill machinery, is a showcase of local produce. Instead of the many dishes featuring Cromer crab and lobster, I opt for something reared even closer, lamb from the Elveden Estate just 10 miles away. It comes cooked in three different styles, with rich beer gravy and caramelised red cabbage. Gleneagles-trained chef Gordon McNeill uses as much local and seasonal produce as possible: the asparagus, for example, comes from a neighbour, Mr Tilbrook. But although the wine list is crammed with fairly priced good vintages, I found nothing from a local vineyard.

Breakfast has a Scottish flavour - I chose the toasted pancake with Stornoway black pudding and poached eggs, followed by lots of toast so I can sample the chef's own marmalade.

I can see why the mill's refurbishment cost pounds 1.2m. It oozes subtle quality, from the brick-and-weatherboard exterior and the waterwheel preserved behind glass in the bar to the Italian dining chairs and Riedel glassware. The service is exceptionally friendly: my baby nephew turning up for Sunday lunch didn't put them off, even when his potato ended up all over the place.

The attention to detail, such as freshly squeezed orange juice in the minibar and zesty Jo Malone products in the state-of-the-art walk-in shower, makes you feel as though you are staying with old friends who have as much regard for historical details as contemporary style. Even a Time Lord could feel at home.

We liked: Exceptional food; relaxed atmosphere; warm, friendly staff

We didn't like: Exclusive prices

Verdict: Wonderful. And though you may need a really good day at Newmarket races to pay for a weekend here, £20 gets you the best Sunday lunch money could buy.

Cost: Weekend rates from £225 including breakfast. Special offers available.